


The Walking Dead: Brave New World

by DylanJ10000



Series: Original Stories & Random Fics [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23035996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DylanJ10000/pseuds/DylanJ10000
Summary: 2016. It's been 6 years since normal life pretty much ended. No Government. No Grocery Stores. No Mail Delivery. No Cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, everyone is forced to finally start living.Aka: My original story, set in the TWD Universe, starring some of my favorite actors and actresses from Hollywood in different roles, eventually coming together :)*CURRENTLY ON HOLD*
Series: Original Stories & Random Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951399
Comments: 2





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> CAST:
> 
> Jaeden Lieberher as Parker Wilson
> 
> Natalia Dyer as Briana Taylor
> 
> Liam Hemsworth as Lieutenant Daniel Redfield, USMC
> 
> Millie Bobby Brown as Hayden Reeves
> 
> Jessica Rothe as Molly Kemper
> 
> Jackson Robert Scott as Henry Dallas-Wilson
> 
> Tom Holland as Wyatt Wilson
> 
> Gaten Matarazzo as Ben Richards
> 
> Jeremy Ray Taylor as Cooper Richards

_October 14, 2010_

* * *

The crisp breeze of the cool, Seattle air blows the bright-orange leaves around the neighborhood, as an ten year-old Parker Wilson, and his fourteen year-old brother, Wyatt, bike home from school. "How come they closed the school up?", Parker asks, looking up to his brother. He is a _teenager_ , after all, and they know _everything_. "Too many people getting sick, I guess", Wyatt replies, "That bug that's been going around has been hitting people like _crazy_ ". It was true, Parker had noticed that less than half of the staff and students had bothered to come to school that morning. When they dismissed classes only two hours later, Parker walked over to the high school, not expecting for it to have been dismissed as well, for the same reason. "So, they closed up so we don't get sick?", Parker questions. Wyatt nods. "That's the best reason I can come up with", he says, shrugging slightly.

They roll into the driveway of their quaint, two-story, Georgian-style house. Their mom and dad had moved in after their grandparents died, so the house had been in their family for a long time. "You wanna watch a movie?", Wyatt asks. Parker grins and nods. "Yeah, that sounds fun", he says. Wyatt unlocks the door, stepping inside. "Cool", he says, "Why don't you pop some popcorn, and I'll look for something good to watch, yeah?". Parker agrees, dropping his backpack near the door, and heading to the kitchen. As he puts the popcorn into the microwave, he can hear his brother flipping through the channels. " _Shit_ ", Wyatt says, "None of the channels are working. They're all showing the same thing". Parker walks from the kitchen to the living room, to find nothing but rainbow screen on each channel as Wyatt flips through. "Should we call Mom or Dad?".

Wyatt nods. "Go get the home phone. Try to call Mom, first. Dad might be busy down at the plant", he suggests. Parker nods, knowing that his father has been taking longer shifts at the power plant outside of Bellevue for some time now. He dials his mother's cell. It rings only a handful of times before there's no answer. That's when Parker notices a blinking light on the home phone, indicating that there are some new messages. He presses the button, and in come the gasps that he recognizes as his mother's, out of breath and exhausted. " _Wyatt? Parker? Are you there? I tried calling- calling the school, but the voicemail said they sent you home early. Listen to me. Something's happening. Something big and bad. People are going crazy out here. There are people taking chunks out of each other. I'm trying to get your father to pick up, but I'm not getting any answer. Just- Stay at the house. I'm on my way home_ ", her voicemail says, full of fear and exhaustion.

Wyatt has walked into the kitchen at this point, eyeing the answering machine. Three more messages on it. The second being from their father. The message says, " _Boys? It's Dad. Listen, I don't know if you've heard from Mom, but everything's going nuts out here in the city. Whatever's happening is starting to get closer to the plant, and we're already having big problems with the generators. I- Shit! They're getting in! Someone fight them off! Listen, boys, I don't know how this is gonna go. I love you both so much. So, so much. Please, stay at the house, if you're already there, and be safe. Wyatt, get the gun from upstairs. If anyone that's not me or Mom tries to get inside, do not hesitate. I have to go. I love you, be safe_ ". On that note, the message ends, moving on to the third, from their now-hysterical mother.

" _Boys, I'm trying to get to you as fast as I can. Something happened at the plant. Some kind of explosion, and I can't get your dad on the line. Lock up the house, and get something to protect yourselves. Be safe. I'm gonna try to call Dad, again. Bye_ ". The answering machine rolls to the fourth and final message from their mother. " _Boys, it's me again. I- crashed the car. I'm surrounded by these... things... and one of them bit my arm. I don't think I'm going to make it out of here. Wyatt, the keys to the Challenger are in dads nightstand, next to his gun. Get both of them, pack anything you can, and get the hell outta there. I love you both so-_ ". The message is interrupted by a crash, and then silence. Parker and Wyatt look at each other, confused and worried as to what is going on, and, even more so, what happened to their parents.

"Where are _you_ going?", Parker asks, watching as Wyatt begins ascending the staircase. Wyatt stops, taking a deep breath, before looking at Parker. "Doing what they said. I'm getting the keys, gun, and ammo. Empty our backpacks. Try to get all of the cans in the pantry, will you?". Parker, though shaken, takes a page from his brother's book, and takes a deep breath, before nodding. Wyatt continues up the stairs, while Parker empties their backpacks on the floor. Taking the now-empty bags to the pantry, he very intricately tries to fit as many cans and non-perishable foods into the bags. Wyatt returns with their father's Walther PPK, an old service pistol of their grandfather's from Vietnam. In hand, he has the keys to their father's Dodge Challenger, and the keys to the gun safe.

"Take the gun", Wyatt says, holding it out, "You remember how it works?". Parker nods. Their father had taken them out for target shooting numerous times since they were young, so it came back pretty easily for him. "Good. I _need_ you to watch the door and windows while I get the other guns from the safe", he says. Parker nods, taking the safety off and aiming at the door. Aside from the stumbling people across the street, he sees nobody. Wyatt returns with a duffel bag from the safe. "Dad got to keep his service stuff after he retired", he explains. Their father had been a SWAT Officer before he was shot during a hostage situation a few years ago. After retiring, his old squad leader offered him his old service weapons, since they were to be destroyed otherwise. Among them was a Beretta M92F and an H&K MP5A1.

Following his retirement from the force, he started working part-time at the Bellevue Power Plant, but had recently moved up to full-time. "I'm gonna get Dad's stuff", Wyatt says. Running to a nearby closet, he pulls out his father's old SWAT equipment. Again, his squad leader gifted it to him, or it would've been destroyed. Not exactly legal for him to give these to their father, but Wyatt is heavily appreciating it now. Returning to the living room, Parker points to the couch. "Let's push it against the door", he suggests, "So nobody can get in after we leave"". Wyatt runs over, helping push the couch against the front door, before grabbing the bags of food. "C'mon, let's get this stuff into the garage". Parker nods, picking up the duffel and Walther. They quickly pack them into the Challenger's trunk.

"Alright, now we need to pack some clothes", Parker says. Wyatt nods, and the two run up the stairs and into their rooms. Parker pulls a suitcase out of a hallway closet, and pulls another out for Wyatt. "Try to pack as much as you can", Wyatt says, "We won't be coming back for a while". Parker nods, quickly taking the suitcase to his room. Packing as much up as they can, they take the suitcases down, throwing them into the trunk as well. "Is that everything?", Parker asks. Wyatt nods, and Parker begins going back into the house. "What're you doing?", Wyatt asks. Parker turns to him. "Turning off the lights. Brings less attention to the house, and it won't get robbed", he explains, as if it's obvious. Wyatt scratches his head and nods. "Good thinking", he compliments, and Parker grins.

When he returns, Parker climbs into the passenger seat. "You ready?", Wyatt asks. Parker shakes is head. "No, but let's go", he says sadly. Pulling out of the garage, and onto the street, the two can see fire and smoke raising in the distance. Luckily, they live in the suburbs on the outskirts of Seattle, so it shouldn't be too hard to get out. "Should we go looking for them?", Parker asks as he gazes towards the inner-city skyline. Wyatt shakes his head sadly. "It's too dangerous", he says, "We need to get the _hell_ out of this city. Head somewhere else, I guess". He flips on the radio, finding a station coming in and out. " _virus... nation...ide...exit...ities..._ ", it says. "Nevermind", Wyatt mutters, "I guess we just head out of here". They drive for a few hours, due to the traffic, before they're safely outside of city limits.

Reaching the interstate, they find it to be gridlocked, backed up for miles and miles, until it reaches the city.They turn around, backtracking up the road slightly until they find a gas station. Hopping out of the car, Wyatt runs inside with two twenty dollar bills, ready to pay for gas, while Parker runs to the candy aisle. "Don't worry about it", the owner says, pushing the money away, "Just get yourself and that boy to safety, yeah?". Wyatt gives the man a slight smile. "Thank you", he say. The man waves it off. "It's the end of the world. Why not try to help out?", the man says, "Take some food, too. The kid's gonna need it. Protein bars do best". Wyatt nods gratefully, grabbing protein bars and some candy for Parker. "You need to go somewhere? We'll drive you", Wyatt offers. The man declines. "I'm waiting for my wife. She was in the city. If she doesn't get here within the next few days, I'll go looking for her. She's all I have", the man says, slight sadness in his voice.

"Well, good luck to you", Wyatt says, "I hope you find your wife". The man nods in appreciation. "Stay safe, children", he says. Exiting the gas station, Wyatt quickly refuels the gas tank, when he suddenly hears loud bangs through the trees. Finishing fueling, he gets in the car, and he and Parker drive back to the interstate. Everyone is out of their cars, watching as explosions turn Seattle into a fireball, coating the night in an orange-yellow tint. Parker exits the car, as well, looking at the fireballs in awe. "What do we do, now?", he asks his older brother quietly. It doesn't register with Wyatt for a second. "I don't know, kiddo", he says, "I just don't _know_ ".


	2. Welcome To The New Age

_Six Years Later_

* * *

Parker jolts awake. He dreams about that night pretty often, so he guesses he shouldn't really be surprised. He sits up and gazes around the tent. Orange basks the inside, so Parker figures that the sun must be coming up. He's careful to step around the tiny body nestled in the sleeping bag next to his. After fleeing Seattle, the he and Wyatt, eventually, made it to a refugee camp in Montana. It fell after a few months once the fires from the cities spread and engulfed it, causing them to flee. After two more years on the road, they stumbled across a community just outside of Minneapolis, where they would stayed for nearly four years. While there, they met an orphan boy named Henry, whom they eventually adopted as their brother. Now, about a week ago, another group attacked the settlement, bringing it down. Parker, Wyatt, and Henry fled.

As Parker opens a can of Pork n' Beans, and puts some deer meat over the campfire, he hears some light rustling, and then small footsteps behind him. "Sleep well?", he asks, getting a _hmph_ in response. He chuckles softly. "I guess that's a no?", he asks Henry as he sits across the fire from him. "It's too hot out here", he says, "Are you sure we can't sleep in the car?". Parker laughs and shakes his head. "We can't waste the gas or battery", he says, "You know that". Henry gives a mildly irritated huff. "Is Wyatt still not back, yet?", he asks. Parker shakes his head, but looks around the camp for Wyatt's bike to be sure. When they evacuated, Parker grabbed Henry and ran for the Challenger, while Wyatt went for a motorcycle he'd been working on. "You should try calling him in", Henry suggests. For being only an eleven year-old, he sure was a pushy one.

"Hey, Wyatt, you there? Over", Parker asks, lifting his walkie of his belt to speak. It's a few seconds before Wyatt picks up. " _Yeah, I'm here. What's up? Over_ ", he says. Henry makes a grab for the walkie, and speaks. "Where are you? Are you on the way back, now?", he asks, before adding, "Over". Wyatt laughs. " _Not yet. I think I may be on someone's trail"_. After everything fell, Wyatt has been going on runs, searching for any survivors from the camp. Parker grabs the radio back. "Seriously?", he asks, "You think it might be one of the others?". Some static. " _Maybe, I'm not completely sure._ ", Wyatt admits, " _It's definitely a living person, though_ ". Parker sighs. "It could be dangerous", he says, "Be careful, alright?". He hears a chuckle. " _When am I not careful?_ ", Wyatt asks. Parker huffs quietly. _More times than I can count_ , he thinks to himself.

" _Alright, I'm losing signal. I'll get back in touch in a few hours. Over and out_ ", Wyatt says, before Parker and Henry hear a click, signalling the end of the transmission. Henry scoots closer to Parker. "So, what's for breakfast?", he asks. Parker gestures at the meat over the fire, as well as the can of beans. "I thought it was obvious", Parker jokes. Henry wrinkles his nose. "Pork n' Beans? For breakfast?", he asks, "That's _disgusting_ ". Parker howls with laughter. The kid definitely hadn't had to get down and dirty with his meal options before, that's for sure. Not like Parker and Wyatt had.

* * *

**_2011 - Year 1_ **

_The rest of the wolves howled into the night as they fled, leaving Parker and Wyatt to dragging the dead one's corpse back to the campsite. "Do you know how to skin this thing?", Parker asks. Wyatt shrugs, though he also looks uncertain. "Can't be too different from a deer, right?", he asks his younger brother. As they finally get back to the camp, the first snow of the season starts to fall. After the refugee camp in Montana fell only weeks earlier, Parker and Wyatt packed up and fled South, into the wilderness of Idaho. Neither had a definite way of keeping track of the months, but Wyatt had earlier estimated that they were nearing the end of October, into the beginning of November, based on the trees and temperature._

_As Wyatt digs his blade into the underside of the wolf, Parker listens to it's pack howling in the distance. "Do you think they'll be back?", he asks his older brother. He watches as Wyatt stops cutting, as if he is just now thinking of it. "I'm not sure, but we'll pack up the gear and sleep in the car tonight, yeah?", he says, "Neither of us really want to be dog food, right?". Parker nods, and Wyatt continues digging into the wolf's stomach. "I'd appreciate it if you'd go ahead and get started on packing", Wyatt suggests, "Then we don't need to worry about it as much after we eat". Parker agrees, going into the tent and rolling up their sleeping bags, picking the lanterns, and, finally, he begins deconstructing the tent. As he gets about halfway through, Wyatt holds up a strip of meat in triumph. "We're gonna be eatin' good, tonight", he exclaims. He goes ahead and puts the meat over the campfire._

* * *

Wyatt got food poisoning shortly thereafter, due to under-cooking the meat pretty severely. Parker, on the other hand, hadn't touched the meat all that much, too repulsed by the stench emanating from it. He would later learn that the smell was why most didn't eat wolf, along with the many parasites they carry. At the time, however, Parker just ended up learning how to drive at the tender age of eleven, while Wyatt recovered in the passenger seat. Parker smiles softly at the memories. Though traumatic, they might be, they were good memories. He pulls the meat from over the fire, cutting to see if it it was cooked through. _A little on the medium-rare side,_ he thinks, throwing it back on, _I'll leave it for a few minutes more_.

He turns to the Pork n' Beans, putting some onto one of the tin plates they had from their old home. During evacuation, they though enough to grab some on the way out. He passes the plate to Henry, who relents and begins eating. He watches the boy, but, out of his peripherals, notices a shambling figure at a far end of the overpass. Parker stands, grabbing his scoped rifle, before aiming and setting his sights on the figure. Rotten and grotesque, while missing what Parker believes may have been a lower jaw, Parker fires a single shot, striking it right above it's right brow. It falls like a bag of rocks, and into a rotting heap on the ground. Parker lowers his rifle, briefly remembering the first time he and Wyatt came into contact with such a creature.

* * *

**_2010 - Day 2_ **

_"You know how to read a map?", Wyatt asks as the two traverse the country roads of the Montana farmland. In two days, they have nearly made it to Missoula, not daring to go anywhere near any of the interstates, for fear of getting trapped. "I think so", Parker says, holding the map out in front of him, "It's kind of hard to read them". Setting the map in his lap, he looks up to see smoke in the sky. "Look at that!", he exclaims, pointing at the smoke. Wyatt looks, noting how close it is to the road. "Must be a car", he says, "We'll see when we pass". As they converge on the source, it becomes clear that there's been an accident. "Shit", he says, seeing one car in a twisted heap, and the other in flames, "Should we stop?". Parker nods. "I'd want someone to stop if we were in a wreck. Park a little ways down the road"._

_Stopping about seventy-five feet from the crash site, Wyatt steps out, as does Parker. "Hello? Anybody alive out there?", Wyatt yells. No answer. Grabbing the Walther from the glove compartment, he instructs, "Stay back here, understand?". Parker nods, as Wyatt draws his aim and begins walking closer. As Wyatt gets close to the crash site, Parker notices some rustling in the nearby cornfield. "Hello?", he asks, moving closer. He moves to the corn rows, moving them just enough to see a person over another person on the ground. "Are you okay?", he asks, "Were you in that wreck?". The person doesn't acknowledge him. "Hey!", he says, prompting the person to finally turn around._

_The first thing he notices is that this person doesn't look right. They're gray, discolored, and their eyes are a cloudy color. The next thing he notices are he large pieces of shrapnel and glass sticking out of their chest, blood pooling from the wounds. Finally, he notices the other person they were over. Their torso is splayed open, their intestines and organs flooding onto the ground. "Shit", Parker utters, backing up quickly. He trips when he reaches the small ditch between the road and the cornfield. The creature utters an unearthly groan from deep in it's chest, blood and remnants of human tissue hanging from it's mouth. "Help!", he yells, drawing Wyatt's attention._

_"Hey! Freeze!", Wyatt yells, the figure turning towards him. It continues towards him. "I said freeze!", he repeats. The monster still stumbles forward. Wyatt finally fires a shot, straight into the thing's chest, but it keeps on coming. He fires another into the neck, blood squirting from the remains of it's jugular. It lunges forward, and he fires a last shot, landing squarely in the right side of it's head, sending a decent portion clean off. It falls like a lump of bricks. Wyatt runs over to Parker, still on the ground, scarred. "Are you okay?", he asks, and, when he doesn't get an answer, he repeats, "Hey! Are you okay?". Panic-stricken, Parker looks at him and nods his head slowly. "Let's get back to the car", Wyatt says, "Now"._

* * *

"Guess we need to pack up now, huh?", Henry asks as he continues eating his Pork n' Beans. Parker turns and nods. They had learned a bit after their first encounter that the monsters were drawn by sound. It explained why they would, eventually, make herds. Eventually, they learned that the infection the creatures carried wasn't contained to them. Every living human had it. Though dormant, the infection would activate upon death, or so they were told. It wasn't long after that they watched someone die from a gunshot wound and come back. _Turned_ into one of those things. But, the bites were the big thing. If you were bitten, there wasn't a good chance you were going to live. Unless you could cut the bitten appendage off, that is.

"Yeah", Parker says, "Let's pack up". As Henry puts out the fire, Parker takes down the tent, securing it in the trunk of the Challenger, along with any other valuables they may have. As Parker puts the last bag into the trunk, his walkie makes a noise. "Hey, everything okay, out there?", he asks. An unexpectedly female voice comes through. " _Hello? Who is this?_ ", she asks. Henry furrows his eyebrows, walking closer to Parker. "I should be asking you", Parker says, confused, "This is a closed channel". They had managed to pick up the military walkies on a run about a year ago. He hears a sigh from the other side. " _Listen, we don't have time for this_ ", she says, " _All I know is that I have a bunch of people on my tail and a guy bleeding in my back seat. We found him when we heard some gunshots, and whoever he pissed off is after us now_ ". Fear prickles Parker's skin. He quickly radios back, "How old is the guy?".

" _He's maybe twenty, twenty-two, at most_ ", she says. _Shit_. "That's my brother! How bad is he shot? Where are you?", he asks. A second of static, with some gunshots in the background. " _Listen, I'm going to try and lose these guys and get to a safe place_ ", she explains, " _but I need you to help me out. One of the kids in my group got shot in the leg. We hid them before we floored it outta here. I need you to get them for me, and I'll do the best I can for your brother, alright?_ ". Parker makes a split-second decision. Does he trust this girl on the walkie, or does h try to find Wyatt on his own? "Deal", he says, "Where can I find them?". Some yelling and more gunshots. " _They're hidden in a bank in the Central District. I'll contact you when we're safe_ ", she says, " _What's his name? In case he wakes up_ ". Parker gulps. "Wyatt. His name's Wyatt. I'm Parker", he says. More gunshots and yelling. " _I'm Bri. Listen, Parker, the kids aren't going to be the most welcoming. Just let them know you're with me_ ", she says. He breathes, setting his sights toward the city skyline. "Got it. Stay safe. Over and out".

He cringes when he realizes she didn't say anything about his condition. "C'mon!", Henry says, suddenly serious and taking the reigns of the situation, "Let's get those kids, and get to Wyatt!". Parker takes a deep breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to calm his nerves, before nodding, and running to the driver's side of the Challenger. Putting the key into the ignition, Parker moves to Drive and floors it, leaving an immense cloud of dust in their wake. "Is Wyatt going to be okay?", Henry asks nervously, his demeanor now shrinking back to it's regular proportions, "Is he gonna die?". Parker turns to look out the window, blinking a few tears from his eyes. "I- I don't know, Henry", he musters, "We'll have to see what Bri's able to do". If he was going to be honest, he was absolutely terrified. Parker's already lost all biological family besides Wyatt. He doesn't need to lose him, too.

Plowing through the verdant Minneapolis streets, while hitting a few walkers in the process, Henry realizes something. "We don't know where the bank is", he says, "The Central District is _huge_ ". Parker pulls the car to a crushing halt. Closing his eyes, he, very gently, puts his head down onto the steering wheel. Hesitantly picking up the radio, he clicks the button. "Hello? Does anyone copy?", he asks. He hears a scuffle before a new voice picks up. " _Is this Parker? This is Daniel. I'm with Bri, but she's working on your brother right now. She was a nurse-in-training at our old community, so he's in good hands_ ". Relief floods through Parker. "That's good. That's _really_ good. We were just calling in to ask which bank the others are hold up in?". He hears a clang and fast footsteps. " _Bridgewater Bank. Then, head South to Bloomington. The landmark is where we are. Second floor. I need Daniel's help, so Over and Out_ ", Bri says, sounding fearful and urgent.

"Shit", Parker mutters. Composing himself, they drive a few blocks before reaching the Bridgewater Bank. Grabbing his M92F and Riot gun, he hesitantly gets out. Looking around for any hostiles, he signals for Henry to get out of the car, as well. Then, the duo proceed run the two blocks, ducking for a small alleyway. Fresh blood marks the concrete and brick wall. Shells are littered everywhere. "It happened here", Parker says. Slowly opening the glass doors into bank, he begins looking around. Blood, and a few bodies around. "Hello?", Parker asks lowly, "Is anyone alive in here?". No answer. "Bri said they'd be here", Henry says, also keeping his voice low, "Where could they have gone?". Hearing movement behind them, they turn, Parker aiming his gun, and Henry aiming a flashlight. They find a girl, about Parker's age, slowly stepping forward. "Did I hear you say you're with Bri?", she asks. Parker nods quickly. "She contacted us from our brother's radio. She said he was shot", he says.

"So she sent you to get us while she helps your brother?", she questions further. Henry nods. "They said they went somewhere South", he adds. She hesitates, but nods. "Alright, this way", she says, waving them forwards before jogging down the hall. The two follow, before finding two boys, one seriously injured, and the other frantically babbling. "Ben!", the girl snaps, "Calm the _fuck_ down! _Please!_ ". The babbling boy shuts up. "We managed to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet, but we need to get him to Bri, so she can get the bullet out", she explains, nodding at the curly-haired boy with the bloody lower leg. The boy winces as he holds his leg in pain. "Shit, this hurts like a mother-", he starts, before groaning from the pain once again. The other boy holds up his hand to the injured one's mouth, holding a finger on his other hand to his own, for fear of the attackers still being around.

"We managed to get your brother's motorcycle. It was running when we got here. He must've been getting ready to leave", she says. Parker nods. "If you know how to drive, you can take these two and my brother to our car. Henry'll show you. I'll take the bike", he says. In all fairness, Parker hadn't ever really driven the bike in real conditions. He'd only driven it a few times, and that was between the old community and the outpost in the next town over. He stops when he hears voices coming from the front side of the bank. " _Shit_ ", the panicked boy, Ben, whispers, " _They're back! I told you they'd be back, Hayden!_ ". The girl looks furious. " _Ben, I swear, if you don't shut up, they might actually come and kill us, and, if they don't, I might just kill you myself!_ ", the girl, Hayden, venomously hisses back.

" _How about you both shut up, and help me move before they find us?_ ", the injured boy suggests. Hayden looks at him sympathetically. " _Right. Sorry, Cooper_ ", she apologizes. She turns back to Parker. " _Follow us",_ she whispers, " _There's a back way_ ". Parker pulls his Riot gun from it's sling. "You guys head for the car", he commands, "I've got this". Henry suddenly looks scared. "What if you don't come back?", he asks. Parker quickly hugs him. "You've got nothing to worry about", he says, "I've dealt with worse than these assholes". Plugging shells into the weapon until it reaches it's limit, Parker readies himself while the others head out the back. He slinks towards the corner, where one of the three in the bank lobby is in view. Aiming his gun and stepping forward, he blasts a chunk of the man's head off, sending him to the ground in a heap.

"Shit! There's a kid!", one yells, aiming his weapon and firing at Parker. Parker nearly gets hit, but ducks behind a piece of wall. The dead man is still in view, and Parker can see the patch on his arm. The same people that attacked the Minneapolis community. "Shit", Parker mutters to himself. He lifts his head slightly, only to be met with another shot aimed his way. Faking a groan, he drops his weapon to the floor, but quickly picks it back up. "Is he dead?", the furthest one asks. When he hears the one that supposedly shot him gets closer, he lifts his firearm, shooting the man squarely in the abdomen. He crumples, and the other man begins shooting. He has a pistol, and is shooting wildly, so Parker simply keeps coming and going out of view until the man runs out of bullets. When he hears the man's weapon click, and a gasp, he jumps out and shoots him in the shoulder. The man screams in agony.

"Why are you after him, huh? Why are you after my brother?", he asks, pointing at the man's forehead with his weapon, barrel nearly touching it, "Why did your group bring down out camp?". The man's groans unexpectedly turn to laughter. The laughter continues for a minute, then ceases completely. The man looks at Parker darkly. "Because you aren't supposed to live", he says cryptically. Parker doesn't hesitate to shoot once more, bringing an end to the man's twisted life. He runs back down the hall, and out into the alleyway, going in the opposite direction he came from. Sure enough, Wyatt's bike is there, propped against the building in the darkness. He grabs the helmet off of the bike handle, and puts it on. He gets on, revving the engine, before he gets going, turning down the alleyway as a shortcut.

Nearing the end, he turns left, heading up the two blocks, where the Challenger is still waiting. "We heard the shots", Hayden says, "We didn't know if...". She trails off. Parker gets what she's saying. "They're after us for no reason. The last guy said nobody should be alive, whatever the hell that means", he says, "You drive?". Hayden nods. "Where did Bri say they were, again?", she asks. Parker looks south. "She said Bloomington. Then, she said to look for the landmark, and that's where we'll find them. I'm not sure how it helped, because I still don't know where they are". Hayden looks at him like he's uncultured. "Seriously? Dude, _the mall!_ They're at _the mall_!", she says. Parker nods in realization, in awe that she picked up on it much faster than he did. The Mall of America was once the largest mall in America, and still is, though it's not much of what it used to be.

"How far is it?", he asks. She looks into space, as if calculating, before she snaps her head back up. "Fifteen or twenty minutes, tops", she decides, "Bloomington isn't far, but we might get caught in some gridlock from the old cars, so we'll have to go around, probably". Parker looks down the road. "I'll follow you, if you feel like you know the way", he says, "I'll be right behind you on the bike". Hayden licks her lips, contemplating, before she gives a firm gesture of affirmation. "Alright", she says, "It shouldn't take long". Parker nods again, getting onto the bike, while Hayden puts the car in drive and begins making her way through the streets. "Hey, Parker?", Henry asks, hanging his head out the window as they pull off, "What's a mall?". Parker chuckles, hopping on the bike and zooming off, right behind them.


End file.
